While the Grand Prix division scrap between Mari-Cha IV and Maximus may have taken the limelight in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge, an equally intense battle was taking place across the North Atlantic between the two massive near sisterships Tiara and Drumbeat.

Measuring 178 feet (54.3m) and 174 feet (53m), respectively, Tiara and Drumbeat are two of the world's largest sailing yachts and represent the last word in luxury ocean cruising. To find one racing is unusual; to race one across the North Atlantic is exceptional; to find two such yachts undertaking a nearly 3,000 nautical mile match race across the Atlantic, unheard of. Yet despite calms, storm-force winds and gear failure, the two boats were separated by just one second at the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge's Lizard gate.

'We had a bit of everything,' described designer Ed DUBOIS racing on Drumbeat. 'For our big heavy boats we had very light airs to start with, which was a bit dismal, but we were both in the same situation.' During one three hour watch, they only covered six miles. 'The gale in the middle, while it was uncomfortable, didn't worry us too much,' continued DUBOIS. 'We were better off than a lot of the boats because we were so big and comfortable. We had proper roast dinners during the gale, and we only had one victim of seasickness, which lasted about a day. We went on showering and shaving, and we had a very nice time.'

Both boats experienced sail damage during the severe conditions. On Tiara, chartered to a group from the Societe Nautique de Geneve led by banker Thierry LOMBARD, they broke the head of the staysail, their principal heavy weather sail, and two battens in the mainsail. Routine issues on a smaller boat, they scaled up into big problems. 'On a normal boat you would drop the main, change the batten. On our boat there is absolutely no way you can do that,' said skipper Pascal PELLAT-FINET.

Meanwhile, Drumbeat broke two halyards, but their biggest hold-up stemmed from when they broke two batten pockets in their mainsail. 'In getting the main down it was flogging around, and it pulled the headboard off,' recounted DUBOIS. 'Happily we got it down and spent the afternoon reattaching the headboard. Then we repaired the in-board end of the battens by bolting them right through the sail. We didn't want to re-hoist the main in darkness when it was still blowing like hell, so we hoisted it in the morning successfully, and we were off. We thought it might have been a race losing moment, but we got it up and away we went.' In total they sailed without their mainsail for around 28 hours, during which time their 150 mile lead over Tiara turned into a 150 mile deficit.

Crews on each boat were monitoring the progress of the other closely. Into the Atlantic, Tiara chose to sail around the bad weather, taking a route much further south, while Drumbeat was between Tiara and Windrose, further north still. 'I am never one to go to the corners of a race course, so we moderated that and just erred to the right of the course,' described Drumbeat's navigator, Australian round-the-world sailor Adrienne CAHALAN. 'In terms of racing Tiara and racing the fleet, we wanted to set ourselves up so that we had some options still. In the end Tiara had a bit of a problem coming back.'

Drumbeat's more northerly course allowed them to sail a faster angle approaching the British Isles. They passed north of the Scilly Isles off Land's End, while Tiara passed to their south, saving them miles, and with their faster pace, by the time the two giant sailing yachts reached the Lizard, they were separated by just one second. Drumbeat was then able to pull ahead due to a technical problem the crew of Tiara was facing with their spinnaker.

Drumbeat pulled ahead, but even then the outcome wasn't sealed, as Adrienne CAHALAN explains: 'There was an unexpected shift coming up the Channel yesterday morning, and there were some nervous moments because we were on the wrong side of that shift. But we were 20 miles ahead at that point, and we went straight back in and covered them.' In the end, Drumbeat crossed the finish line off the Needles just 55 minutes ahead.

'I am hugely enthusiastic. I've had the best time of my life,' said Drumbeat's owner Mark LLOYD. He had first sailed across the Atlantic when he was 19 years old, with a friend William PELLY. Thirty-two years later he had invited PELLY back for this crossing. 'It has been a huge celebratory event. We have had a really, really good race. It was one of the best things I've done for a long time.'

Adding to their crew's satisfaction is that Drumbeat looks set to win the Performance Cruising class 1 on handicap, beating Tiara by 4 hours, 45 minutes and Windrose by 15 hours, 3 minutes on corrected time.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.